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Qwen Image 2.1

740 points · 199 comments · jmillikin

  1. jfoster · · focus · HN ↗
    A lot of the previous Qwen models seem to have used Apache licenses, among others:

    <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Qwen#List_of_models" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Qwen#List_of_models

    Unfortunately, it looks like this model is using a much more restrictive license:

    <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;QwenLM&#x2F;Qwen-Image-2.1&#x2F;blob&#x2F;main&#x2F;LICENSE" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;QwenLM&#x2F;Qwen-Image-2.1&#x2F;blob&#x2F;main&#x2F;LICENSE

    1. gregoriol · · focus · HN ↗
      Was going to post about this: the last image models with Apache 2.0 license seem to be from 2025, recent Qwen models are &quot;non-commercial use&quot;.
      1. Luker88 · · focus · HN ↗
        Companies can use llm to license-wash open source code regardless of license.

        How difficult would it be to use this model to create a second model without licensing issues?

        1. Zambyte · · focus · HN ↗
          Why would you even do that? Just... use it? There hasn&#x27;t been any legal precedent on if models can even be copyright restricted. Labs just keep publishing license documents as if they matter.
          1. zdragnar · · focus · HN ↗
            Well, it is an indication that it matters to the lab, so if you don&#x27;t want legal fees to be the first one to set precedent, then it does matter a great deal.
            1. Zambyte · · focus · HN ↗
              You could say the same thing about &quot;license-washing&quot; the model. It seems like you&#x27;re just going through a guaranteed expensive process to have roughly the same risk as just using the model and potentially getting hit with legal fees.
        2. Sharlin · · focus · HN ↗
          What.
        3. cleaning · · focus · HN ↗
          No one really cares about licenses, especially now. Just use it, the odds of consequences are unfathomably low.
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